105 mm shells are in common use in tanks. One drawback of the primer mechanisms associated with these and similar shells is the ability of the enemy to jam the same. That is, the conventional primer mechanism includes an electrically charged firing pin that strikes the primer fuse and generates a spark. If the electrical current on the pin is jammed, no spark will be created and the tank will not fire, or the primer mechanism will operate improperly.
One solution to this problem is the use of foil tape as a bridge wire in a cross configuration on the base of the shell casing, covering the electro mechanical primer fuse. However, the tape must be removed either before or after the shell is loaded, thereby adding unacceptable time and motion to the firing sequence. In addition, the tape may short the fuse.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an effective means of shielding the electro mechanical primer fuse from radio frequency, electro magnetic interference, and electro static discharge which does not suffer from the drawbacks of the prior art.